‘Time of Departure’ proves Schofield is no fluke

Based on almost universally glowing reviews posted on Internet sites for his latest novel, “Time of Departure,” it seems that it may be time for Cayman resident and attorney Douglas Schofield to depart the legal trade and work as an author full-time.

Published by St. Martin’s Press, and officially released on Dec. 1, 2015, the book has been described as a “page turner” by one reviewer, with shocking twists that have kept readers up into the night.

Reviewer “Meredith” on the goodreads.com site stated, “If you are looking for a typical mystery that is solely about resolving a case, Time of Departure is not the book for you. However, if you are looking for a mystery that goes outside of the box, then you will love the ‘Time of Departure.’ Approach with an open mind!”

A number of other well respected journals and websites have lauded “Time of Departure,” such as Publishers Weekly, saying, “Engrossing. It’s a tribute to criminal lawyer Schofield’s persuasive powers that his characters, procedural elements, and atmosphere are convincing enough to keep those pages turning without logic getting in the way.”

The RT Book Reviews website has chosen it as a top pick: “Schofield delivers a whopping complex tale. The characters are three-dimensional, and the gut-wrenching implications of the whole story will have readers’ minds racing.”

Summary

Florida state prosecutor Claire Talbot is as tough as they come, and not everyone loves her for it. Newly promoted felony division chief, Claire has about as many jealous detractors as she does supporters. Some colleagues are openly skeptical about her youth, her abilities, and even her gender. When a highway project construction crew unearths two skeletons in a common grave, Claire reopens an investigation into a string of abductions that took place before she was born.

While researching the file, she meets retired cop Marc Hastings, who once worked on the case. He maneuvers his way into the investigation-and into Claire’s life. Marc has an uncanny familiarity with Claire’s habits, and she begins to realize that not all is as it seems. The detective urges Claire on, mysteriously convinced that only she can solve the case. Together, they unearth more graves. But then, disaster strikes … and Claire finally discovers what Hastings knew all along. It’s a secret almost too shocking for a sane mind to grasp. The key to the killings may lie deep in Claire’s own past. But what if Claire’s past lies in her future?

Previous works

Thanks to Schofield’s novel being published by such a well known publishing house, he is finally getting the attention that he has deserved for many years now.

His two previous books – “Flight Risks” and “Succession” – had limited distribution because of the relative anonymity of his previous publisher.

“Time of Departure,” in fact, began as a screenplay that the author wrote 10 years ago, and it subsequently won first prize for its genre in Fade In magazine’s annual screenwriting competition.

He has already completed his next novel and plans to continue writing in the hope of becoming a success doing what he loves. “I’m really encouraged that I’ve been picked up by major publishing house, St. Martin’s Press,” said Mr. Schofield.